LIVING in the city centre means living life in the fast lane. As a result, there has been a marked increase in the use of time-saving domestic gadgets around the home, to get the job done quickly, leaving more time to enjoy life.

With this in mind, Bellway Homes recently carried out a survey of buyers of its city centre developments, to find out the most popular domestic gadgets (excluding standard appliances such as cookers and refrigerators) that will be used within the average city centre apartment.

The top 10 gadgets are as follows:

* 1 - Washer/drier (100 per cent of home owners have one) All those surveyed said if not already installed when moving in, it would have been the first domestic gadget they would have invested in. The last place a city professional would want to spend his or her free time, is in a laundrette.

* 2 - Microwave (97 per cent of homeowners own one) Microwaves are nothing new, but they certainly are nothing less than a necessity for those who do not have the time or inclination to cook. Great for warming up the leftovers from the night before and invaluable for making a meal in minutes, a microwave also removes the hassle of washing up pots and pans.

* 3 - Breadmaker (66 per cent of homeowners have one) The breadmaker is clearly the latest domestic 'must have' gadget. The smell is unbeatable, and the taste, unrivalled. As one person surveyed said: "I always set the timer on my breadmaker before I go out on a Friday night to have fresh bread on a Saturday morning, which certainly impresses anyone who stays over the night before."

* 4 - Espresso/coffee maker (65 per cent of homeowners own one) Instant coffee is definitely 'out' as more and more homeowners have acquired a taste for the real coffee you could only previously get in a coffee bar.

Whether they have invested in a cappuccino or an espresso maker, owners feel that the aroma of fresh coffee will make their home even more attractive to visitors.

* 5 - Blender (61 per cent of homeowners have one) A blender is gaining an important place in the kitchen as it has been adopted by most city centre home-buyers. In addition to impressing their friends with exotic cocktails, those surveyed mentioned making 'smoothies' as being the main reason they use a blender.

* 6 - Dyson (37 per cent of homeowners) When it comes to cleaning the home, everyone has a vacuum cleaner but a massive 37 per cent of homeowners own a Dyson.

* 7 - Juicer (34 per cent of homeowners own one) Again, being able to make fresh orange juice is a favourite with a third of residents, although this particular gadget is used mainly on a weekend when they have time to eat a more leisurely breakfast.

* 8 - Water filter (27 per cent of homeowners) While our nation's water is safe for drinking, there seems to be a trend for desiring the purist water possible, whether it is investing in quantities of mineral water, or as in the case of those surveyed, using a water filter in the kitchen.

* 9 - Steam cleaner (12 per cent of homeowners) Although relatively new on the domestic gadget scene, steam cleaners are finding their way into our home-buyers homes to keep carpets, glass, and tiles in the same pristine condition as when they moved in.

* 10 - Ice maker within a refrigerator (owned by three per cent of homeowners) Used widely in the United States, ice-makers are now making an appearance in our kitchens. An essential ingredient to cold drinks, cocktails and smoothies, we can expect to see more homeowners adopting this latest trend-setting gadget.

The results show that the most popular gadgets allow for the use of fresh ingredients (for example, blender, breadmaker, juicer and coffee maker) and are also perceived as being healthy. Other gadgets identified are used not only for speed, efficiency and practicality but also because they are fashionable and look good around the home.